Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/07/2024 (334 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
At 63 years old, the average person generally isn’t at the top of their athletic career.
That’s certainly not the case for local runner Greg Athayde, who is gearing up for the World Masters Athletics Championship in Sweden (Aug. 13-25) and hoping to come away from it with a medal for Canada.
If all goes according to plan, there’s a pretty good chance for Athayde, who is currently ranked second in the world in men’s 60-64 age category in the 800-metres with a time of 2:15.41. Another Canadian, Mark Pinckard, is number one.
Worlds is the highest level of competition for masters athletes, with more than 8,000 athletes aged 35-100+ from a record-breaking of 111 countries this year.
“It’ll be just my first World Championship,” said Athayde Friday. “So both nervous and excited about it.”
The Winnipegger will be competing in the 400-metre and 800-metre races. Athayde may also participate in the 4×400-metre relay depending on how he’s feeling physically and on team availability.
“The goal is definitely to make the finals for both events,” said Athayde who will join more than 200 masters athletes on the Canadian team. “For the 800, there are right now in this age group, 97 athletes registered to run the 800 and it’ll end up being nine heats. The way the competition works is that the top 12 times will make it to the final for the 800. So essentially run fast in the heat to make it to the finals. I think I have a pretty good chance of making it.”
Athayde started running almost 50 years ago, his track career beginning at Gordon Bell High School, where he would run about a half mile to school from his house before eventually joining the cross-country team.
Athayde continued track at the University of Manitoba and competed into his early thirties, but slowed down after getting married and having kids.
It was the World Masters outdoor championships in Toronto in 2020 that inspired Athayde to begin his masters running career and start training for competitions again. Unfortunately, the championship was cancelled due to COVID-19, but Athayde kept on training.
As national and global competitions started again after the pandemic, Athayde quickly made his mark.
Last year, Athayde, along with Pinckard, Chris Deighan and David Guss, broke the world record for the men’s 60, 4×800-metre in a time of 9.16.90. The previous record was held by an Australian team with a time of 9:29.53.
Currently, Athayde trains three to four times a week with coach Andy Tough along with additional strength training to prepare for Worlds.
“Greg is hardworking, dedicated, tenacious and a fantastic role model in our club Tough Track,” said Tough in an email to the Free Press. “It is a pleasure to coach Greg.”
Recovering from an injury from the indoor track season, Athayde has been focusing more on weight training and mobility exercises to keep up his level of fitness.
“As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass and bone density,” said Athayde. “The weight training really helps maintain both of those things… Also just listening to what’s going on in my body. So if there’s some nagging aches and pains, I won’t hesitate to cut a workout short.”
“The hard part is not necessarily the actual race, it’s the training to get you ready for the race,” he added.
In February 2025, the Canadian Masters Athletics Indoor Championships will be coming to Winnipeg, where Athayde plans to compete, excited to race in his hometown.
“It’s just fun being out there and racing, running fast and pushing myself to see how fast I can be,” said Athayde. “Enjoying that physical aspect of it.”
zoe.pierce@freepress.mb.ca
